The dynamic writing pair Christina Lauren has once again written a quick-witted rom-com that is sure to be a fan favorite.

The concept behind this story is one I found very intriguing. Can people be marched on a generic level to find their true love? What is the basis for attraction? Is it on a cellular and genetic level? Does knowing a score for this genetic match influence your feelings and ultimately cause you to fall in love?

Dr River Pena has worked for years on this concept. He has a match that is the highest score ever in the company’s history. His match is single mom, Jess. Jess, mother to Juno, is skeptical that the match score is highest ever.

Christina Lauren has a cast of lovable characters that worm their way in to the reader’s heart. I hope this cast shows up in future books. I would love to see Fizzy the star of her own romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

The team of Christina Lauren is always an automatic read for me be it I was wowed or VERY slightly disappointed in the previous book. I love their romance writing style and the banter between the romance leads. The Soulmate Equation is not one of my favorites as the Unhoneymooners or Josh and Hazel, but it was a fun read and I enjoyed the "nerdy" rom-com of the story. I'm still a Christina Lauren fan and will always look forward to reading more of their work. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me the opportunity to read this delightful book.

Firstly, I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publishers of The Soulmate Equation for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Plot: 5⭐️
I was really captivated by the book’s concept related to DNA-based dating. I thought the concept was well executed. I think the climax is when my interest really peaked. I became super invested in Jess and River’s score and I was happy with the way things unfolded in the end.
Pacing: 3.75⭐️
I wish the pacing was a bit better. It felt like River and Jess’s relationship trajectory started out very slow and then we see that they suddenly fell in love without as much build-up. The second half of the book was much better in terms of pacing.

Character Development: 4.5⭐️
It was also nice to see a realistic portrayal of motherhood and I liked how Juno was Jess’s first priority throughout the book, not just at the beginning before she met River. I also really enjoyed reading about Jess’s friendship with her best friend Fizz. Fizz was bold and fearless and I almost hope that she gets her own book. I liked River’s relationship with Juno as well. He was able to develop a sweet bond with Juno, which I found heartwarming. However, I am not sure I really liked River’s character a romantic interest. I feel like we kept being told that River and Jess have amazing chemistry, but I wanted more flirty banter between them from the beginning.

Writing Style: 5⭐️
Christina Lauren never let me down in terms of writing. Their writing always keeps me engaged and allows me to visualize all the scenes. When I first read the synopsis of the book, I was curious to see how they would describe the dating app and I was quite happy with the way the app was explained.

Would you recommend it?
I would recommend this book to all contemporary romance book lovers.

I loved this book and the characters! What a charming read. I am rating this book a 4.5 star review.
The story starts with a single mother, Jess. She is not looking for love but decides with her best friend to do a new dating app that takes people’s DNA and matches them with their “soulmate.” She ends up with a match with the founder of the company, Riva. They have already met and do not like each other, but they do have a lot in common (data/math nerds). The company is a start up and this would really help it out in the media. So they decide to pay her to date him. Can sparks fly if they do not like each other?
The characters were so charming and cute! I also thought that the main character was relatable. They had both of the main characters have flaws. I loved that. Typically the supporting characters do not play big roles in these rom-coms, but the author manages for you to really get connected to Juno (Jess’s daughter), her grandparents, and best friend. Finally, the story was engaging and humorous at times.

Thank you Gallery for my review copy. All opinions are my own.
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Well, that was amazingly cute. CL are auto buy authors for me. The Soulmate Equation will for sure be a title I recommend. Very cute, very sweet, a lil steamy and we ended with a big awwwwwwww. I do love a good Happy Ever After.
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River and Jess were delightful. Throw in a cute kid in Juno and fun is sure to ensue. The scientific nerdy River was a favorite. Who doesn't love the nerdy guy done good? Jess deserved everything as she was hands down a great lead. Just sassy enough to make me love her more. The entire concept was a fun enemies (kinda) to lovers story. Neat little premise that turned into a great RomCom.
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Pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

Can we talk for a minute about how adorable this book is?

Jess Davis is single mom who has no time for dating. When her best friend notices her attention shifts to a stranger every day at the coffee shop she gets a conversation going with the mystery stranger. He offers to show them around his lab where he matches people up with their true love match based on their DNA.

Jess submits a sample and her and the stranger (my newest book boyfriend River) apparently have the strongest match in the company's history. This match kicks off one of my new favorite love stories.

For those of you that have been following my book adventures for some time you know I love Christina and Lauren. They are totally auto buy authors for me.

This book did not disappoint. I loved seeing Jess (a single mom) find love. The "science" got a little much at certain points and Fizzy's nickname made me roll my eyes but other than that this book is incredibly sweet (but yes the conflict is hella predictable). If you are looking for a sweet (and not too steamy) love story pick this one up on May 18th 2o21 when it releases.

Thank you Gallery and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

It's a cute meet comedy romance at first. The premise of genetically match with someone reminds me of John Marrs' book titled "The One". However, the similarity ends there. Opposed to Marrs' story this was a romance. It was extremely great, at the beginning, where Jess and River's personality has that nice banter but still let the reader knows that they belong together. River started as a shy and somewhat socially awkward guy, but then somehow became Casanova. I find that 180 personality change to be off-putting. The banter between Jess and River was something magically. Two unfit pieces of the puzzle somehow fitted. Suddenly it turned into a sop story and there were no touches of humor or wittiness to the characters. It started good but fell flat in the end.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

You really can't go wrong with a Christina Lauren book, if you ask me. The characters are always fun and the plot keeps you engaged, takes you through a journey and always lands in a happy place.

This story is no exception. I had a soft spot in my heart for River and really enjoyed reading about Jess and Fizzy and their friendship.

When I grab one of their books, I know it will keep me engaged and entertained and leave me content by the end and that's exactly what happened.

with gratitude to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

So as someone who adored Josh and Hazel and The Unhoneymooners, I really like Christina Lauren's books. However, the past few releases have not really been my jam. Because of that, I went into The Soulmate Equation with copious amounts of hesitation. However, I liked it a lot more than The Honey-Don't LIst or In a Holidaze. The plot felt a little convoluted at times and the characters felt sometimes one-dimensional, but I had fun and was charmed in many moments of the book. Do I wish that the catalyst for their relationship was paced a little bit quicker? Yes, but I really liked getting the perspective of a single mother and what dating is like from that point of view. Plus as someone who once lived in San Diego, getting to read about parts of the area left me with a nice sense of pride and nostalgia.

The Soulmate Equation

As a preface to this review, I adore Christiana Lauren as people. They are great and I love seeing them on panels. I also love some of their books, but lately their books have not been working for me. The Soulmate Equation to me was sort of my last chance giving them a shot and after finishing this I am even more confused, because I really liked parts of this and the book as a whole is a fun time, I just don’t think this is a great book.

Essentially this book is about Jess, a single mom, and River a geneticist who is creating a dating app that matches people by their DNA. Jess doesn’t want to date, but in a moment of loneliness, submitted a saliva sample. She is very surprised when her and River have a 98% match which is the highest match ever.

It started off strong, even though I did not care about the science of this app, but I was invested in River and Jess trying to figure out what was between them. The attraction between them is intense and I liked reading about it. They both are pretty frank and honest with their feelings which was refreshing.

However, most of this plot just does not make sense. Jess and River start hanging out at the request of the app, but they don’t really specify about fake dating and then all of a sudden they are being interviewed, but they don’t practice or anything? It felt like the plot was carrying them instead of them driving the plot with their actions. As a person who prefers character driven novels, I wanted them to move the plot forward themselves.

There is also A LOT of plot for such a short novel. There is the relationship, Jess’s relationship with her BFF, Jess’ struggles with her job, her relationships with her mom and grandparents which are both complicated, Jess’s reluctance to ask for help/do anything for herself, trying to figure out if what they have is real, AND? This isn’t bad, but many are not fully fleshed out and feel like they were only put (once again) to move Jess to a particular emotional spot.

Jess is a single mom which typically isn’t my favorite for romance, but I did like it here. Juno was super cute, and I liked her and River’s vibe. I felt that her relationship with River was a little too easy, but it was very cute. I also am a sucker for a man who can talk to children so points for River.


Again, this is not a bad book. It’s fun and has some great dialog. But, I expect more from Christina Lauren. They are prolific writers and I wish they would slow down a bit and write more complex stories. I see why people like it, heck I had a great time reading this, but I wanted more nuance and a more complex story.

What a fun, sweet book! This was just what I needed after a rough few weeks and a few darker books.

Jess Davis is a single-mom who has no interest in stepping back into the dating world. She works hard and adores her close circle - grandparents, best friends and daughter. When her best friend convinces her to submit her DNA to GeneticAlly, a DNA-based matchmaking company. Never does she expect to have a match at the highest ever, River Pena. He is stubborn, cranky and rude - definitely not Jess’ soulmate. Or is he?

This is a cute story about soulmates, science and choosing to love. It shows that you can’t always judge someone based on your first meeting - and that sometimes those you think you dislike most end up being the best additions to your life.

Thank you netgalley and gallery books for my advanced reader copy!

I know it's only March, but this book will definitely be one of my favorites for this year! Although the underlying premise was similar to "The One" by John Marrs, the story is entirely different. River and Jess could be one of my favorite book couples ever! Their relationship is sweet and caring and their chemistry is off the charts hot. Add in wonderful grandparents, a great kid, and a hysterical best friend (we all should be so lucky to have a Fizzy in our lives!), and you have a fun, entertaining read!

Review also posted on blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

All the Feels! Simply Magical!

Is it possible to be matched with the love of your life through DNA? Such that you will be soulmates in every way and that every facet of your relationship will be better than you ever could have imagined?

In “The Soulmate Equation” by Christina Lauren, it is GeneticAlly possible. In this sweet, romantic novel, a new dating app is created that matches people by their DNA.

Jess Davis is a single mom and a statistician who barely makes ends meet. Luckily for her, she has an amazing support system behind her. Jess lives right next to her grandparents, who raised her and who help raise Jess’s seven-year-old daughter Juno. She also happens to have Fizzy, an amazing best friend who stands by her side and helps out wherever she’s needed. Together, Fizzy and Jess take GeneticAlly’s DNA test. Amazingly enough, Jess is matched with GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Pena, who, Jess kind of, sort of knows. He’s the gorgeous guy she’s been crushing on at the coffee shop, who also happens to be a complete jerk. Their compatibility is off the charts, as in, Gold Level, and has never been reached before, a whopping 98%! It seems impossible and yet the sparks between these two are Outrageous!

There is Love and then there is DNA Matching. All I can say after reading this book is, if such a thing actually existed, I’d sign up!

Jess and River’s relationship is Swoonworthy! Let’s just say that I was hooked! This book had it all, love, romance, friendship, and family! I adored all of the characters in this novel, including Jess, Juno, River & Fizzy and I think you will too.

This was a fantastic buddy read with my bestie Kaceey!

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Published on Goodreads, Twitter, and Instagram.

Fabulous fun read! Perfect quick and entertaining romance for Summer. Less steamy than the typical Christina Lauren books, this was still a great romance read! Fans of any Christina Lauren book will enjoy and also those who loved The Rosie Project!

I have read two other Christina Lauren books before this one. The Soulmate Equation was my tie breaker; I loved The Unhoneymooners, and I hated with my whole heart, In a Holidaze. I was willing to give her another go, and had my expectations set low. In 2020, I started reading more romance, and since then, I can’t get enough. Throughout this book, I started to get some real Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy vibes.

Jessica, or Jess as she prefers, is friends with a romance writer, Fizzy, who believes in fate, love, and having fun. Jess, a single mother, is cautious, caring, and always at arms length. In comes Americano, literally, he walks into their coffee shop. Jess immediately hates him, but the physical attraction is real. Funnily enough, Americano aka River, is a geneticist who develops a matchmaking company. Jess gives her DNA to see if her soulmate is out there. She ends up matching with none other than Americano; a 98% match in fact. This is the highest score the company has ever seen. She despises him, so will there be love or will it end in a disaster.

First, I laughed out loud MULTIPLE times. The characters were relatable, funny, charismatic, and the sexual tension was palpable. Second, I wanted to drink all of the words in, without the book ever ending. I loved both of these characters beyond measure. As a *previously* single mom, I identified with Rachel, especially being a mom to a remarkable little girl. Her anxieties, and how she felt about raising her kid hit really close to home.

I read The Soulmate Equation in about three days, and I am so sad it is over. I rarely reread books, but I may make an exception because it was that good. I loved the writing style because there was not an overabundance of irrelevant details, descriptions, or figurative language. I didn’t find myself skipping monologues or internal soliloquies, which is always a plus. I think out of the 24 books I have read this year, this one is my favorite. Ask me again in December, and we shall see if it holds its luster.

The Soulmate Equation is set to be released on May 18, 2021. I recommend you pre-order because it will definitely be a hot summer pick this year.

What if 23andme was also a dating site? 🤔 ⁣
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That’s the premise of THE SOULMATE EQUATION, the upcoming release from duo Christina Lauren. As someone who met her spouse online, I’m a sucker for online dating themed romances. ⁣
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This book was fun, inventive, and sweet. The side characters were the real winners for me since although the romance was solid, the overall pacing was inconsistent. If you’re a fan of CLo, though, you’ll like this for sure. ⁣
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Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC in exchange for this review. ⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve just discovered Christina Lauren’s books in the last year and have been slowly working my way through them, so I jumped on the chance to read the newest one. What I like about Christina Lauren’s books is that the authors do a really good job of creating funny, interesting, well-fleshed out characters. Jess is a single mom who’s had a rough time growing up but has created a life with her best friend and grandparents to support her and her daughter. River is a hot and nerdy scientist trying to prove that people can find true love matches based on their genes. Fizzy was well-written as a hilarious romance-novel-writing best friend. I thought that the idea of compatibility in our DNA to be an extremely compelling, interesting, and new idea. I really liked seeing the relationship between Jess and River develop, neither knowing if their chemistry was because of their compatibility scores or despite it. I especially liked seeing both of these people who had either been hurt in the past or never took the time to develop relationships slowly let each other into their lives. The book was well-paced and moved quickly. I was interested from the first page and had a hard time putting it down. While not my favorite Christina Lauren book, it definitely lands in my top 3. I enjoyed it very much.

*Full review to be shared on my blog soon!*

CLo have done it again! I have yet to read a book by Christina Lauren that I have not enjoyed, but The Soulmate Equation lands nicely in my top three favorites.

I'm afraid this review is going to be short and messy. I devoured The Soulmate Equation, forgetting to take notes or highlight favorite parts, reading just for enjoyment. And it was so much fun.

The authors have taken the current DNA craze and put a fun spin on it by using science to find soulmates. My math and science-adverse brain can't even start to comprehend how this would ever be possible. In fact, I'm assuming it's pure fantasy. But even all those scientific terms and mathematical equations couldn't keep me from loving this one!

The chemistry between our two main characters is palpable. While River may come across as rude or dismissive in the beginning, I trusted that there would be a story behind his behavior, and it only helped to build the anticipation for when these two would finally admit their attraction.  I fell so hard for this pairing, dreading the event that would potentially separate them. There's always an event, and it's what keeps us reading.

As with most CLo books, the supporting cast helps to make the story what it is. And The Soulmate Equation has a wonderful one. From Jess' grandparents to her adorable daughter, Juno, to River's two sisters, I enjoyed all the heart poured into these characters.

I found myself laughing out loud, especially at the dialogue between Jess and her best friend, Fizzy. We so need a book about Fizzy now. It just HAS to happen.  She's snarky, fun, genuine, and loyal. And I wanted more of her story.

When I realized The Soulmate Equation was wrapping up, I was distraught, wishing I could stay in their world a little longer, but also happy that maybe the lack of an epilogue meant we'd get more of their story someday... maybe?? Please!

This author duo can be hit or miss, but this one was a hit. I enjoyed the banter between the main couple. I also really appreciated the strong, smart female protagonist. The story was nerdy, but not too nerdy and the characters seemed real (although the situations they found themselves in, maybe not so much). Library patrons should really enjoy this title, especially if they enjoyed the author's My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

If I could easily insert a TikTok sound here, it would be the one of Nicki Minaj saying "no you don't understand, I'm oBsEsSeD with it" because that's how I feel about Christina Lauren's books 😭I'm so grateful to Gallery for sending me an advance copy of this one, it was exactly what I needed to get me out of a book slump! As usual with their work, this book is both cute and sexy, both deep and very fun, both heartwarming and so sad (at moments!) - I really loved it. It ranks high on the list of their books for me!